


Amore mio

by Luffymarra



Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Denial of Feelings, Kidnapping, M/M, male kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-12
Updated: 2019-08-12
Packaged: 2020-08-19 17:16:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20213398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luffymarra/pseuds/Luffymarra
Summary: Will Leonardo's disappearance finally bring him and Ezio together?





	Amore mio

**Author's Note:**

  * For [greygerbil](https://archiveofourown.org/users/greygerbil/gifts).

> I hope you like it!

Leonardo hummed while he put the finishing touches on his latest painting. Stepping back, he ran a searching eye over the image, looking for any flaws to fix. Satisfied that it looked wonderful, he moved the painting carefully to the side, and began to clean up his brushes and paints. Once it had finished drying, he would have his assistants carefully wrap it and take it to his benefactor. They would be very pleased he was done with it.

Once he finished cleaning, he walked to his private study. Making sure the door was locked, he took a candle and moved the rug behind his desk. Carefully he pulled up the door hidden under it, took one last look at the locked door and went down the hidden stairs to his secret workroom. 

Lighting several candles around the room, Leonardo took in the items around him. Here were all the things he worked on for Ezio. All safely hidden away from prying eyes. Walking over to a covered canvas, Leonardo took off the sheet and gazed longingly at Ezio’s painted face. If he only had the courage, maybe he could finally tell Ezio how he felt. Leonardo sighed sadly, shaking his head at his own thoughts. He knew he was kidding himself. He would never burden the younger man with the knowledge of his feelings. Replacing the covering, Leonardo turned to his work bench, and the awaiting project.

*****************************************

“Signore Da Vinci, there is a messenger at the door for you. He says that he will give the message to only you.” 

Leonardo looked up in surprise, and looking at the candles around the room, realized that several hours had passed while he worked.

“Signore?” 

Quickly walking up the stairs, he yelled that he would be right out. Coming back down he blew out all the candles but one and went back up to his study. Closing the hidden door, he replaced the rug, and making sure everything was in place opened the door. Nodding his thanks to the assistant, he quickly made his way to the front of his studio. Opening the main door, he could see a man standing just on the edge of the lamp light. Stepping out, he closed the door so that his assistants would have a harder time eavesdropping.

“You have a message for me?” 

The man turned and Leonardo couldn’t help the shiver that went down his back from the cold eyes that stared at him.

“You are Signore Da Vinci?”

“Sì.”

“Bueno.”

Leonardo shouted in alarm, when he was grabbed from behind and a bag was shoved over his head. His cries were cut short when he felt something hard hit the back of his head, sending him into darkness.

*************************************************

“Signore Auditore! Come quickly! Some of the men have found Signore Da Vinci!”

Ezio’s head jerked up from the map he had been staring at and he quickly ran after the soldier into the main courtyard. There he could see Leonardo sitting on a horse, shouting at the men around him not to touch him.

“Leonardo!” Ezio ran over to his friend, who seemed to calm somewhat the closer he got. He placed his hand on the other man’s leg and grew very concerned at how hard the other was shaking. 

“Ezio, please, they...they will come...they wanted...wanted…”

Ezio shouted in alarm when Leonardo’s eyes rolled back, and he went limp. He was barely able to catch the artist as he slipped off the horse toward the ground. 

“Quickly, find the Medico! Bring him to my rooms!” Ezio stared at Leonardo’s pale face, before gathering him close and quickly running into the house.

*****************************************

Hours later, Ezio paced the hall outside his rooms, waiting for news from the doctor. He only stopped when his Uncle joined him.

“Any news, Ezio?”

“Not yet, Uncle.” Ezio ran his hand through his hair, his eyes clenched shut. He took several deep breaths, before facing his Uncle again. “Have any of the men found out where Leonardo came from?”

“No, not yet. They have some leads but nothing solid yet. It looks like our best source will be Leonardo himself.” 

Before Ezio could reply, the door to his room opened and the Doctor stepped out, closing the door softly behind him.

“Medico! How is he?” Ezio used all his will power to not reach out and shake the answers from the man. He felt his Uncle place a hand on his shoulder and calmed a little at the support from the older man. The doctor sighed, adjusting his bag on his shoulder.

“He is suffering from dehydration, hunger, sleep deprivation, and he has been beaten repeatedly over several days. I have treated all the wounds and have given him a draught to help him sleep. Once he wakes, I would suggest starting him back on very simple foods and drinks until he is stronger. He needs plenty of rest, but he should fully recover in a few weeks. I also left pain medicine on the table by the bed. Mix it in with water if he needs it. I will be back in a few days to check on his progress. Good day, Signors.”

Both Ezio and his uncle bid the doctor farewell, and once the other man was out of sight, his uncle pushed him toward the door.

“Go be with your friend. I will take care of the men until you can focus fully again.”

Ezio opened his mouth to argue, but snapped it shut and nodded. He truly wouldn’t be able to focus on anything but how Leonardo was doing if he left now. Smiling his thanks, he turned and went inside his room. He looked anywhere but at the bed. He stoked the fire, and made sure the window was closed and the curtains pulled, but it was when he started to straighten his desk that he shook himself and walked over to the bed.

Ezio pulled a chair up next to where his friend lay. His eyes roamed over Leonardo and took in the many bandaged wounds he could see. He could only imagine the ones hidden by clothes and the blanket. Reaching out, he took the cloth from Leonardo’s forehead, and rewetted it before returning it gently to its place. He made sure his friend was well covered and as comfortable as he could be. Once he was sure he had done everything he could, Ezio finally took the other man’s limp hand into his own.

Feeling Leonardo’s warm hand, Ezio let out a shuddering breath and closed his eyes, trying in vain to rein in the emotions running wild in him. The last week had been a one big upheaval after another, and this was the first time Ezio had stopped to try and sort everything out. He sat there for hours, only moving when he needed to rewet the cloth, or when his thumb was rubbing along the back of Leonardo’s hand.

The light of dawn was just sneaking around the edges of the curtains, when Leonardo woke up with a gasp, his eyes moving wildly around the room.

“Easy, Leo, easy. You are fine. You are safe, il mio amico.”

Ezio squeezed the other man’s hand tightly and ran his other hand gently through Leonardo’s hair. He smiled when the artist turned his confused gaze toward him.

“Ezi…”

The artist’s rough voice and coughing fit made Ezio release his hand and reach for the glass of water off the table. Moving his arm under the older man’s shoulders, he helped him sit up enough to slowly drink.

“Thank you, Ezio.”

Ezio nodded and lowered his friend back to the bed, replacing the glass on the table.

“How are you feeling, Leo?” Ezio once more took the artist’s hand into his and gave a small smile when Leonardo squeezed his hand. 

“Very sore, and very relieved to be here. Thank you for taking me in Ezio.” 

“Of course, Leo. I would never do any less.” Ezio moved his chair closer to the bed. “Do you remember what happened to you, Leo? Your assistant came to me frantic when you disappeared nearly a week ago.”

“It was a local group of mercenaries. They’ve had several jobs for the Borgia over the years, that you have foiled. The Borgia finally got tired of them failing their missions and dropped the group. They decided that they wanted revenge.”

“Fuck!” Ezio jumped up and began to pace the room in anger. “How did they find out you knew me? I’ve always been so careful about anyone seeing me entering or exiting your shop.”

“Ezio. Ezio, please il mio amico. Please sit down.” Ezio quickly realized his friend was trying to get up and rushed back to the bed, gently pushing him to lay back down. He reached for the pain meds on the table. “NO! No pain medicine yet, Ezio. Please I want to be clear headed.”

Ezio merely nodded and replaced the cooling cloth on Leonardo’s head, before picking his hand up once more. 

“If they did not know that you knew me, then why did they take you, Leo?”

“One of them somehow found out that I worked for your mother and family years ago. They took me to see if I knew where she, your sister, or you might be.” Leonardo’s eyes grew wide in worry, and he sat up enough to reach out and grab Ezio’s shirt. “I swear to you, Ezio! I told them nothing of your family! They learned nothing from me!”

“Hush, Leonardo. I know you wouldn’t, il mio amico.” Ezio pressed his forehead against Leonardo’s, before helping the obviously hurting man to lie down again. He continued to brush his hand through Leonardo’s hair and speak softly to him, until the artist’s panic had subsided.

“Can you remember where you came from, Leo? I want to make them pay for hurting and threatening you.”

“To the north, about two days’ ride away. There is an abandoned fort that they are using as their base. Please don’t go alone, Ezio. There are too many for you to take.”

Ezio frowned at the way his friend was gasping out his words, and the sweat that was breaking out across his face. Reaching to the table, he mixed the pain medicine into a glass of water.

“Leonardo, I promise you that I will not go alone and that I will be very careful. Now here you need to drink this and rest. You are safe here, no one will be able to get to you here, you have my word. So please, sleep and get better quickly.”

The artist nodded and with Ezio’s help drank down the water, and then settle back onto the bed. Ezio watched as Leonardo soon started to blink sleepily.

“Please...be careful...amore....mio”

Ezio could only sit there in shock, unable to believe what he had just heard. He sat there, his thoughts rolling once more, until his uncle entered the room.

“Ezio, how is he?” Ezio looked at his uncle and stood from the chair.

“He woke up earlier. He was able to tell me why he was taken and where. I will need to borrow some of the men, Uncle.” 

His uncle nodded his head.

“Of course, Ezio. We will help in any way you need.” 

Ezio gave a small smile and clapped him on the shoulder. “Uncle, watch over him for me. Keep him safe.”

“I will, Ezio. Take the men you need and come back quickly.”

Ezio nodded, and taking one last look at Leonardo, he turned and left the room.

*************************************************

“Leonardo, you need more rest.”

“How can I rest?! Ezio has been gone nearly a week!” Leonardo paced the length of the room, ignoring the aches from his still healing wounds. He only stopped when Mario stood in his way and placed his hands on his shoulders to hold him in place.

“My nephew, gave you his word that he would be careful, did he not?” Leonardo nodded at the other man, confusion on his face. “Ezio does not break his word, but I know my nephew well. He will not come back until he is completely certain that you will never have to worry about those men again. Now please rest some more.”

Leonardo nodded in acceptance and went to sit down on the couch in front of the fire. He pulled his half-finished drawings toward him and tried to work on them, though most of them turned into drawings of Ezio.

Several hours later, Leonardo looked up at the sound of the bedroom door opening and found Ezio standing there staring at him. He got up from the couch and met Ezio halfway across the room. He opened his mouth to speak but closed it when Ezio raised his hand and shook his head.

“If I do not do this now, Leo, I fear I never will. So, you must tell me if I am out of line and have misinterpreted your intentions.” 

Leonardo looked confused, until Ezio pulled him into his arms and kissed him. Leonardo only froze for a moment, before his own arms came up to hold onto Ezio and return the kiss. They soon parted for breath but didn’t let go of each other.

“I can assure you, amore mio, that you did not misinterpret anything.”

“Thank God, Leo, amore mio. I’ve been trying to ignore these feelings for a long time. I never thought you would return them. We have a lot to talk about.”

Leonardo shook his head and pulled Ezio to the couch, before making him sit down and moving to curl up against his side. Once he could hear the assassin’s heartbeat under his ear, he relaxed completely. 

“Later, Ezio, please. Let us just enjoy this for the moment.”

Ezio nodded and put his arms around Leonardo, both finally relaxing for the first time in weeks. Later Mario entered the room to find both men sound asleep. Spreading a blanket over them he left the room a relieved smile on his face.

  
  
  
  



End file.
